Vinyl Pools

[dubele]

Hello,

In my consideration of installing a new pool, I decided to look into Vinyl Pools. I originally disqualified them, but I saw one last week and talked to a PE and he mentioned he had one and liked it.

I guess the thing I like about them is that they are supposed to be less money for a given size, the liner replacement is relatively cheap as compared to resurfacing concrete or re-coating fiberglass, and it seems the cheapest to demolish if I need to for whatever reason (ie: I decide to move and the pool is luring potential buyers away.)

I'd love to hear from people who have had vinyl liner pools for many years and give their experience. How is the liner holding up? Are the vinyl tiles fading terribly? Do you have issues with wrinkles? Is your property wet (mine is and I am considered with water getting underneath)? If there is anything else, I'd love to hear it.

Thanks,
Doug

[waterbear]

Some things to be aware of liner pools....Liner replacement is not that much cheaper than concrete replaster in many cases and also liners often do not last as long. Liners do rip and puncture (a very real concern) and leaks are common, and you cannot completely drain a liner pool without special precautions (done by a pro) or you will ruin the liner. (However, in fairness, fiberglass pools cannot be drained without special precautions either and often concrete pools should not be fully drained either lest the shell pop out of the ground!) Liners fade from sunlight and chlorine ( although this is purely cosmetic) and you cannot shock them to as high a level as plaster or fiberglass (unless you don't care about the liner fading), making algae more troublesome to kill. Liners are also damaged by low pH so you want to make sure the pH never drops below 7.0 and they fade in normal use (sometimes one or two seasons if they get full sun).. The styles of liner pools available tends to be much smaller than fiberglass (and plaster pools can be build in any shape and size).

Their main advantages are non reactive surface, which tends to lower chemical cost (unless you get an algae outbreak and you don't want to bleach the liner!), lower initial cost than other types of pools, and the fact that they do very well in areas that have hard freezes in winter.

Buying a pool is fun, isn't it!

Bottom line, as I said before, each type of pool has its pros and cons. You need to decide which is the best for you. No matter what you decide you are going to love it. (And once you decide on the pool there is the type of filter, 2 speed or variable speed pump, and a host of other decisions to make! Enjoy!! )

[dubele]

Yeah, this is nut! This is complicated for sure. I do love complicated things and lots of choices.....but I am stumped. I posted on another forum today also and I got kinda the same feedback. I think I am ruling out a liner pool. Fiberglass or Concrete. I have two concrete bids...one is 33K....the other a few thousand higher. I have two fiberglass bids....one is 30K...the other a few thousand higher. decisions....decisions...decisions.

[waterbear]

LIke I said before, ask each builder for a list of their last 5 builds and check them out and talk to the owners. If the builders won't do it or only want ot give you a list of satisfied customers or of old builds find a different builder.

[LinerMFGr]

I'm obviously bias to this discussion, so I'll keep keep my banter to a minimum. I just want to point out to Waterbear that vinyl pools can be built to virtually any shape and size and are nearly as versatile as concrete pools. The only real limitation is measuring the pool to get a liner to fit in it.

Alright--I've got work to do. See you in 6 months